A Constructivist Teacher Education Program that Incorporates Community Service to Prepare Students to Work with Children Living in Poverty

Abstract

Abstract This article describes a program designed to strengthen the preparation of teachers for their work in schools with children at risk due to poverty. The program emphasizes how the incorporation and integration of university classroom instruction with relevant community service learning experiences contributes to a strong knowledge base for students. Rather than a random set of learning experiences, the program is structured around a systematic constructivist pedagogical model which contributes to high quality design and organization of curriculum and instruction.